Movies

Bridget Jones Returns: A Heartwarming Comeback

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Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (15, 125 minutes) 

Verdict: A tearjerker that also makes you laugh out loud.

She’s returned, though not everyone may be thrilled about it since, to be honest, she’s not everyone’s favorite drink – a glass of Chardonnay. However, her return is as vibrant and lively as the jingling of bells.

Among all four Bridget Jones films, the fourth one released stands out as the finest, particularly when compared to the original from 2001. Interestingly, this film is the most mature of the series, delving into themes such as loss and sorrow, yet it never sacrifices its cleverness and allure.

It explores plenty of other stuff, too, not least romance across a mighty age divide. 

For decades, mainstream cinema only tackled that in terms of older men and sirens half their age. 

In the wake of the MeToo movement, it appears roles are reversed: Recently, Nicole Kidman and Anne Hathaway portrayed women who were romantically involved with men considerably younger than themselves, and now it’s the time for 55-year-old Renee Zellweger to take on a similar role.

In this movie, the role of another significant character is portrayed by Leo Woodall, who’s famously known for his work in TV series like The White Lotus and One Day. At present, he is 28 years old.

In her signature style, Zellweger delivers another powerfully dramatic portrayal of Bridget. Yet once more, she manages to make the role captivating.

These awkward mishaps, silly slips, and comical gaits that resemble more of a waddle than a walk are all noticeable. Yet, she continues to symbolize various facets of femininity.

The talent demonstrated by Zellweger, along with authors like Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, and Abi Morgan, lies in convincingly advancing Bridget’s (who happens to be 47 instead of 55) character into a fresh stage of her life.

She is a widowed mother of two now. 

It has been four years since Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), a serious human rights lawyer with strong ties to reality and rumors suggesting he’s similar to Keir Starmer, passed away during a humanitarian mission in Sudan. However, Bridget Jones’ creator, Helen Fielding, playfully refuses to confirm or deny this resemblance.

We see him sporadically, both in flashback and as a kind of ghost, in his family’s imagination.

In the bustling, disorganized environment typical of a middle-class household, Bridget resides with her elementary school-aged children, Billy and Mabel, in the prosperous area of Hampstead, situated in the northern part of London.

Comedian Arnold Brown often joked about the distinct, upper-middle-class feel of Hampstead, humorously implying that those living in social housing there also owned weekend homes in Wales.

This movie repeatedly pokes fun at the smugness of the affluent mothers in this region and their well-off spouses, offering a sharp critique without mercy.

It’s a bit like shooting fish, or maybe taramasalata, in a barrel. But it is no less funny for it.

Bridget doesn’t have anyone special in her life right now. Her old flame, the mischievous Daniel Cleaver (played brilliantly by Hugh Grant), is still around, but she’s too old for him now, as he himself has pointed out, comparing her to a nun due to her changed lifestyle.

Even though she’s active on the dating platform Tinder where her television host companion (Sarah Solemani) has created a profile for her as a ‘widow in need of a sexual reawakening’, her Netflix password remains ‘allbymyself47’.

Later, at Hampstead Heath, she encounters an attractive park caretaker named Roxster (Woodall), and before long, to the amused delight of her longtime companions, they become a couple.

In one particularly hilarious moment, Roxster removes his clothes down to his undergarments in order to save a canine friend from a pool.

His brave actions take place with the backdrop of Dinah Washington’s “Mad About The Boy”, as Bridget’s older companions observe, their tongues nearly dangling in anticipation.

Last month, I brought my daughter (who was still in her early school years when the initial Bridget Jones’ Diary movie premiered) to the world premiere, and she struggled to contain her uproarious laughter on multiple occasions, particularly when a lip serum injection incident turned into an amusing disaster.

However, director Michael Morris, known primarily for his work in television (including the acclaimed Better Call Saul), skillfully avoids allowing comedic sequences to disrupt the story’s continuity. This, in turn, sees Bridget tentatively returning to her role as a TV producer.

Even amidst the humor, we don’t find ourselves doubting the authenticity of the characters, one of whom is a sincere yet gentle science teacher skillfully portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Notably, the emotional depth of two young kids grappling with their father’s passing rings true. Remarkably, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy offers an exceptional blend of heart-wrenching moments and uncontrollable laughter.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy opens on Thursday across the UK

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2025-02-12 12:09

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